While Man of Steel can be considered the first movie of the DC Expanded Universe, it just set the foundation stone with just a couple of minor teases - Batman v Superman, on the other hand, contained so many references to future DCEU movies that many feel it has collapsed under their weight. And maybe that’s true; after all, Batman v Superman wasn't compared with Iron Man 2 for no reason.
So how did Batman v Superman set up the following DCEU installments? And which ones are these? This list is all about that - but you might want to look away, because there will be plenty of spoilers.
Wonder Woman, obviously
Back when Gal Gadot was announced for Batman v Superman, it was said that she would appear only briefly, as Diana Prince. It wasn't so, though - and we might have an idea who went the extra mile for a full Wonder Woman appearance.
And, even if it was a prolonged cameo, it was one of the most epic moments of Batman v Superman.
This is obviously a setup for the first Wonder Woman flick, which is due on the 23rd of June 2017. And that was pretty clear - but Batman v Superman went a bit further and presented a pic with said superheroine in a WWI setting, together with the other stars of the 2017 superhero flick (among others, Chris Pine and Saïd Taghmaoui).
And that is indeed a picture from the set of Wonder Woman.
However, there is one other thing which could be mentioned about her and one other Justice League member"¦
Wonder Woman romance with Batman
You must have thought of that, as well, when the two first met in Batman v Superman. We cannot be the only ones who saw a little spark between them and the playfulness in their dialogue.
Anyway, this could be a weird romance, but it isn't out of the ordinary, so to speak, since the two shared a connection in both comics and animated series. In the comics, during The Obsidian Age, the two surprised everybody when they shared a kiss, although they didn't stay together after Martian Manhunter revealed that their future would not be so bright.
In the animated Justice League series, when Circe transformed Wonder Woman into a pig, Batman had to express his sincere love in order to save her, and – guess what – she was saved.
And so we can definitely see something developing between the DCEU counterparts, especially since Wonder Woman is, in a way, convinced by Bruce Wayne to come back and form the Justice League. It might be a stretch, but Batman v Superman might have established a basis for a pretty interesting relationship.
Suicide Squad
It may not be such an obvious hint, but we believe that Lex Luthor found out about the existence of the other metahumans in the world via Amanda Waller, who oversees the Suicide Squad project.
The two have previously collaborated in the comics. What really brings them together, though, is their hate for all metahumans. So what if they work together - Lex Luthor with the info and the finances, and Amanda Waller with the expendables?
One of the biggest rumors concerning Suicide Squad (which will be released this year, on the 5th of August) is that Batman won't be the only one to cameo - Lex Luthor will also be in it. So it isn't too hard to assume that Waller will co-opt Lex Luthor as her advisor (though we can bet that their relationship won't last too long, given Lex's personality).
Batman v Superman: Aftermath
Obviously, this isn't the doomed Tim Burton movie, but the continuation of Batman v Superman. As everybody knows, Zack Snyder couldn't refrain himself and actually revealed that Superman wasn't dead - as if we didn't realize that already. So a better part of the first Justice League film will most likely be dedicated to bringing back Superman.
We don't know how that will happen. What we do know is that it will be a bit tricky to do, especially since everybody knows now that Clark Kent is dead. And while the people might take Superman's resurrection for granted (since, well, he is an alien), Clark will most likely have to remain dead.
Which means that Kal-El will be a full-time superhero from then on, which might put a damper on his relationship with both Lois Lane and Martha Kent.
We're going to wait and see how it will all play out. But maybe it shouldn't have been an open casket ceremony for Clark Kent.
The Batman
We guess we can all agree that Ben Affleck's Batman was literally the best thing about Batman v Superman. And since we already know that the actor is working on a first solo movie, we can only get excited from here on (since, well, he is a much more competent writer and director than Zack Snyder).
This being said, there is a tease for the first Batman solo flick in Batman v Superman. And that is the dead Robin suit. Furthermore, Bruce Wayne also asks, rhetorically, how many good man stayed that way - and if this isn't a hint of a Red Hood adaptation, then we don't know what it is.
To be noted, the same Robin suit also teases the Suicide Squad, when we will see how the Joker was caught and sent to Arkham (we have no doubt that the scenes with this villain will be flashbacks).
Of course, since the first Wonder Woman flick will be a prequel, we are open for a Batman prequel as well - A Death in the Family?
Justice League
Obviously, the biggest set up of them all is the one for the Justice League films. At the end of Batman v Superman, Bruce Wayne tells Diana Prince that they need to assem"¦um…unite with the other metahumans (the ones from the surveillance clips) to fend off whatever threat might come from the sky.
But this wasn't the only explicit tease - there were quite a few of them, maybe even too many. Besides this explicit scene, there is also the entire Injustice-like Knightmare, where Darkseid and his parademons have already reached Earth.
And then there is also Lex Luthor, scared to death in prison, saying that someone has heard the signal. And then there is also that one deleted scene, in which (we believe) we see Steppenwolf.
As we mentioned, maybe there were too many teases for future movies.
Flash
Now this is the most important cameo in Batman v Superman, outside of Wonder Woman’s. And that is because Flash can be considered responsible for Bruce Wayne's vision of a post-apocalyptic future, when Superman rules the Earth with an iron fist, most likely under the guidance of Darkseid.
Ezra Miller (who is not Asian) portrays the Flash and, according to Debra Snyder, the decision to have him time-travel was made on the spur of the moment. What was the reasoning? It will pay off in future movies - in the first or second Justice League.
So when we finally have the Flash solo flick (March 16, 2018), the superhero will already be a veteran, and he will already know the full extent of his powers.
And we do believe that, sometime along the way, he will play a vital part in rebooting the DCEU, via a Flashpoint adaptation. You don't insert time-traveling in Batman v Superman for no reason at all.
Aquaman
Take a look at Jason Momoa and dare to laugh at Aquaman. Even if many believe that his Batman v Superman cameo was the least satisfying one (which says something, since many believe that none of the Justice League cameos were necessary), we actually liked it - and it revealed that the DCEU Aquaman can be an awesome and powerful superhero.
Sure enough, James Wan (who will direct Aquaman's first solo flick, scheduled for July 27, 2018) teased giant monsters for the first outing of the superhero. But, as with Flash, and given the look of the King of Atlantis, we believe that Flashpoint will happen.
You don't get Jason Momoa in a lead role if you don't want to make a statement.
And, quite frankly, we cannot wait to see that happen.
Cyborg
He is there, too, and he will have his solo film on the 3rd of April 2020. If it seems so far off, remember that Batman v Superman was announced 3 years prior to its release. So"¦
From all of the solo flicks teased in Batman v Superman, we are least excited for this one. Mainly because Cyborg is just a new addition to the original roster of the Justice League and mainly because we could have had Martian Manhunter instead of him.
So there is that.
Furthermore, the most recent rumors say that the Cyborg movie will become a Teen Titans movie, just like the Green Lantern solo flick became a Green Lantern Corps movieone. What we can say for certain is that Cyborg will play an important role in the Justice League films, since his creation came after his father tampered with a Mother Box.
Brainiac
As with Darkseid, Brainiac is long overdue. And we can’t wait to see him on the big screen!
However, if Darkseid will indeed be the main baddie of the Justice League films, when could Brainiac appear? And what is his connection with Batman v Superman?
Well, Lex Luthor teases him several times when mentioning the hunger for knowledge. Furthermore, we can suspect that, in his time in the Kryptonian scout ship, he also encountered some files on the Collector of Worlds. So maybe he was talking about him in the prison, and not about Darkseid (we doubt that, though).
What makes us mention Brainiac here is the deleted scene in which we believe we saw Steppenwolf and 3 Mother Boxes. Just as the scene ends, we can clearly see the Brainiac logo on Lex Luthor's back. And that is an Easter-Egg we should have seen in the theatrical cut of Batman v Superman.
So if Darkseid is indeed the villain of the Justice League films, maybe Brainiac will be the villain of the Man of Steel sequel (which is still unannounced). And this would be awesome, since it will give Warner Bros the chance to retire Superman from the roster (obviously, only to recast him later on, after the Flashpoint, in which he didn't actually play an important role).
How can they retire him? Simple: make him discover Kandor on Brainiac's ship and set up a new Krypton on another planet!
